The Osceola times., 1887-07-02
WOMAN'S DEPARTMENT.
WOMEN WHO TOLL.
The Industrial Misery of women snu
Their Need OF Leaders OF Their own

NJ. d., referring 10 the hceu VI oo-oP''
alton among women, said:
No man can fully appreciate the IN
dustrial misery of women upon whom
deyolves the necessity of earning a sup
mort for themselves or Others. AS
work in all its forms is still considered
derogatory TO women, Tie necessity
they are under to work removes them
at once, more or less completely, from
the only class to which full social re-
spect. esteem and protection are ac-
corded. At the same time they are re-
garded as intcrlopers in the world OF
industry. 1t is somewhat dlscreui'a-
BILE for them to be there; they are un-
welcome intruders in a sphere properly
belonging to men. Hard work. ms,
orable nav, a monotonous life, and
more or less social stigma, Is the gem
eral lot. They themselves have I'M
bibed the popular ideas of what Is de-
sirable for women. and regard II as the
great object of life to be supported by
some one else, to escape from the neces-
sitv of work, aud they do not fully re-
spect either themselves or their fellow
workers.
They have no leaders among 'hrm-
selves. In work they are under the
direction of, and dependent on, the
pleasure of men who do not respect
them as they do masculine workers, or
regard them AS entitled to the consid-
Grafton due to non-working women.
They are outside the pale both socially
and lndustrally, and are fair prey in
both capacities. They are separated
bv an impossible gulf from the richer
women, who should naturally be their
leaders; they have no habit or power OF
combination among themselves. Each
one, ignorant and inexperienced,
struggles along unaided, and has no
expectation of aid or support, unless it
come to her from some man. Every
working girl soon learns that she has a
higher immediate value as an article
of merchandise than as worker. and
that the men who are insolent task
masters to her in that capacity have
fair words and money for her in
another direction.
For there is one profession for
women which is never full; one occu-
patton which has its agents, with brides
and temptations, always at hand. Nor
does virtue bring the same reward to
the poor that it does to the rich. 1t
does not save them from contumely,
from the sense of being socially at 9
disadvantage. There may be discredit
in want of purity, but there is no spe-
cial merit in it. To win the approba'
ton and admiration of men is the
more or less avowed object of the edu
cation of girls. The immense impor.
tance attached to dress and personal
appearance, to manner and etiquette
teach them that social attraction is the
great object, and all that is inculcateo
in the way of womanly character
tends to unfit them for self-protection
Obedience, self-repression, tact, self
devotion, are drilled into them early
and endlessly. Moral courage, self
respect, independence, are Indirect,
discouraged.
There is a work 10 be done among
women parallel to that done by th'
White Cross Society among men. Al
to these we preach the duties Of purity
self-restraint and consideration fol
others. so we need TO arouse women tC
the value of courage, self-rcspcct ant
sense of responsibility to their com
mon womanhood They must rccog
nize that work is as honorable t.
women as to men; that il is a socia
crime to allow any girl to reach ma
turity untitled for self-support, or un
provided with the training which woulC
make it possible for her to stand upor
her own feet when it is necessary
They should feel that the interests o
women are one and inscparable, :. =,
the very highest to the very lowest.
Combination and united action are
II possible, more essential to womel
than to men. The strength Of womel
is purely that of moral force. So Ion;
as brute strength is the controlin!
force in society, women have no plac,
nor chance in it. They are simply
sacrificed to the physical needs Of tn,
, race. But civilization means the pre-
dominance of moral over physca
force, and the more complete this as
, tendency, the better opportunity i
there for the development Of womei
, to their full perfection. But, to reacl
this end, they must develop and exer
their own moral force. This must b
done, not only by individual but b,
collective action. The highest mus
realize that she is outraged by tn,
degradation of the lowest, and that he
|, . own status is rendered insecure by tn
, industrial misery and isolation of tn
, workers below her. Every woman
A must learn that her position depend
,, upon the general idea which society en-
, tertains of the nature, the powers, tn
, qualities of womanhood, and tina
every class and rank Of women con
l tributes its quota toward forming thi
general estimate which decides tn
standing of each individual Ever
: woman should feel that it is incumben
, on her to do her part toward raisin
; this estimate, not only by her persona
work and conduct but by the strcngt
, which comes through union, an
should lend her aid to organized ei
t forts for self-help and self-protcctiou